An Early Morning Surprise: An Earth 723 Fic
by Rowena Zahnrei
Summary: The Wagner kids from 'An Unsung Hero' and 'The Day the Earth Stood Back' conspire to surprise Kurt on Father's Day. Please Review!


Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. Please don't sue me or steal my story! Thanks!  
  
NOTE: This story takes place on Earth 723, as seen in my previous stories _The Day the Earth Stood Back _and _An Unsung Hero. _ Alice, Marta, Suzie, and Edmund are all my original characters and do not exist in any official Marvel universe.   
  
An Early Morning Surprise

By Rowena  
  
"Suzie!"  
  
Ingrid Susan Wagner rolled over, pulling the sheet over her head with a grumpy, sleepy groan.  
  
"Suzie!!"  
  
This time, the insistent whisper was accompanied by a sharp poke. Suzie groaned louder and rolled over again, opening her golden eyes so she could shoot a glare at her older sister from under the blanket.  
  
"What?" the twelve-year-old mumbled, clearly annoyed.  
  
"Wake up, will you?" Marta hissed, pulling Suzie's sheet down to the bottom of the bed. "Have you forgotten our plans entirely?"  
  
Suzie sat up slowly, yawning hugely as she rubbed her eyes. "No, of course I haven't," she grumbled. Then she looked up at her sister, her golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Just remind me—what were they again?"  
  
Marta sighed deeply, rolling her glowing, green eyes in the darkness. "Not funny, Suzie," she whispered. "Just get your tail down to the kitchen. I've still got to wake up Edmund."  
  
"But I don't have a tail," Suzie muttered, laying back down and curling up in a warm, sleepy ball. "Does that mean I don't have to go?"  
  
Marta frowned, jabbing her sister in the side with one thick, fuzzy finger. "You should be ashamed of yourself," she snapped.  
  
"What for?" Suzie snapped back.  
  
"For being a lazy lout, that's what for. Now get yourself out of bed and down to the kitchen before we run out of time and everything is ruined!"  
  
Suzie yawned again, then pushed herself up into a sitting position and scratched her fingers through her long, azure hair.  
  
"What time is it?" she asked.  
  
"Nearly five," Marta told her curtly. "Can I trust you to get out of bed if I leave now to wake Edmund?"  
  
"Yes," Suzie sighed, finally resigned to wakefulness as she sluggishly rose to her feet and padded across the room to her closet. Marta nodded approvingly as various articles of clothing began sailing through the air from the closet to the bed, then vanished with a bright BAMF of sulfurous smoke.

#######  
  
Edmund was already awake and dressed when Marta appeared in the room. The instant he heard the familiar BAMF of teleportation, the eight-year-old jumped out of bed with a broad grin, his white teeth gleaming in the yellowish glow of his nightlight. Unlike the two girls, Edmund Wagner had not inherited their father's night vision.  
  
"Marti!" he whispered excitedly, his smooth, pale-blue tail lashing behind him. "Is it time to get started yet?"  
  
"You bet!" Marti grinned back, pleased that at least one of her siblings was showing the proper enthusiasm for the task ahead. "Shall I teleport you down, or would you rather walk?"  
  
"Teleport me!" the boy stated without hesitation. "I want to get down there as quickly as possible!"  
  
Marta's grin broadened, displaying her sharp fangs. Stepping forward, the fourteen-year-old pulled her little brother close and wrapped him in a secure embrace.  
  
"Ready?" she asked.  
  
"Let's go!" he grinned, his hazel eyes shining.  
  
BAMF!  
  
And just like that, they were gone.

#######  
  
The kitchen was all the way down on the ground floor of the manor, so they didn't have to worry about their noise waking anyone else up while they were there. The three children were free to talk normally, and even to clatter the pots and pans. However, the clandestine nature of their activities motivated them to keep their voices soft just in case.  
  
"Do you have the menu we wrote out last night with Mum?" Marta asked Suzie as she shuffled into the large room and plunked herself down in the first chair she came across.  
  
"Menu?" she repeated blearily. Then her eyes brightened and she nodded, digging into her pocket. "Ah, yes. I brought it."  
  
"Thanks," Marta smiled as she took the wrinkled paper from her sister and handed it to Edmund.  
  
"Here, Eddie," she said. "You start taking out the ingredients, OK? I'll get out the pans and things. Suzie?"  
  
"Huh?" Suzie grunted crankily. Marta shook her head with a good-natured smirk.  
  
"Never will it be said that you are a morning person," she chuckled. "Why don't you go splash some cold water on your face or something? Then you can make your famous sticky buns."  
  
Suzie rolled her golden eyes as she pried herself up from her chair. "They're not _my_ sticky buns," she grumbled. "The recipe's on the back of the box."  
  
"Yeah, but they always seem to come out best when you make them. So you're making them."  
  
Suzie tried to sigh, but it turned into a deep yawn. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she managed to nod through the yawn. "OK, no problem."  
  
"Fabulous," Marta smirked. Then, leaving Suzie to shuffle over to the sink, she turned to Edmund, who was struggling to pull the full milk jug from the refrigerator.  
  
"Marti," he grunted, "can you help with this? It's really heavy!"  
  
"I've got it," Marti assured him, rushing over to grab its handle before it toppled onto the floor. "You get the eggs, all right? Just be really careful with them."  
  
Edmund nodded. "OK. Will I get to do the mixing?"  
  
Marta shrugged. "Sure," she smiled. "I'll find you a spoon. Just put everything on the center island, OK? Do you need a stool?"  
  
Edmund nodded again, concentrating too hard on the egg carton he was clutching in his hands to reply. Marta watched his progress warily for the moment it took her to find the long-handled wooden spoon and place it on the island, then figured he would make it and BAMFed off to find the little wooden stool their Uncle Logan had made for them during one of his visits to the manor.  
  
She had just located it in the hall closet when the muffled sound of arguing met her sensitive, pointed ears. Her eyes widened incredulously as she grabbed up the stool and BAMFed back to the kitchen.  
  
"Unbelievable," she frowned, taking in the scene before her as the residual teleport smoke faded. "I leave you two alone for three seconds—three SECONDS, mind you—and already you're fighting. What is going on here?"  
  
Suzie and Edmund had been wrestling for the wooden spoon, but Marta's distinctive entrance had made them pause. Now they advanced towards her, both of them talking at once.  
  
"Edmund won't give me the spoon," Suzie scowled, glaring daggers at her brother. Edmund glared back, just as angrily.  
  
"Marta, didn't you say I could do the mixing? Suzie won't let me!"  
  
Marti slapped a tridactal hand to her fuzzy forehead, squeezing her vibrant, red curls between her thick fingers and clenching her teeth as she forced herself to calm down.  
  
"OK, listen up you guys," she snapped. "Edmund, Suzie is in charge of the sticky buns. If she doesn't want your help, don't offer it to her. Suzie, I did tell Edmund he could do the mixing, but I meant he could mix the eggs, not your dough. Is all that understood?" She paused only long enough for them to nod, then continued in the same, sharp tone.  
  
"Good. Now, let's remember why we're doing this OK? No more arguing."  
  
"Well, if Edmund hadn't—"  
  
"No!" Marta cut her off. "Drop it, now. Do you really want to ruin this day before it's even begun?"  
  
Suzie scowled, then lowered her head slightly. "No," she admitted.  
  
"Good. Now, what I need is to get some water boiling for the porridge," she said, striding across the room to unhook a medium sized pot from the rack. "Edmund, did you manage to find that black pudding Oma and Opa sent us from Germany?"  
  
"It's on the island," Edmund told her, watching as she filled the pot with water and carried it over to the stove.  
  
"Excellent," she said, turning on the heat. "Then I need a knife, a pan, and a mixing bowl for the eggs."  
  
"I'll get the bowl," Edmund offered eagerly, dashing off to do so. While he did that, Marta set a pan on the burner beside the pot and snatched a knife from the knife rack by the sink with her tail. She was already slicing the black pudding by the time her brother hopped up onto his stool and placed the mixing bowl beside her.  
  
"OK," she said, "here's what we're going to do. I'm going to fry up the black pudding, then we're going to scramble the eggs in the same pan."  
  
"And I get to mix the eggs?" Edmund inquired, his eyes sharp.  
  
"Of course," Marta assured him. "I told you that you would, didn't I?"  
  
Edmund grinned happily, twirling a short-handled wooden spoon in his pale- blue, five-fingered hand. Marta arranged the pudding slices in the pan and turned on the heat, then returned to Edmund and started cracking eggs into his bowl.  
  
"Suzie," she said, looking over to the counter where her sister was working. "How are you coming with that dough?"  
  
"I need a rolling pin," Suzie said, making a face as she realized she'd just smeared flour all over her skirt. "Drat," she snapped.  
  
"That's nothing," Marti smirked. "I'm getting egg goo in my fur!"  
  
"Eew," Suzie shuddered. "Just don't get any fur in the egg, yeah?"  
  
Marta shot her a look. "Only in yours," she smiled. "Oh, and about the rolling pin—I think there's one in the drawer by the refrigerator." Marta pointed, then cracked the last egg and moved off to dump the shells in the trash and wash her hands.  
  
"There you go, Edmund," she said. "Mix away."  
  
"Um, Marti," Suzie said, looking up from the drawer her sister had indicated. "I think the water's boiling."  
  
"Thanks," Marti grinned at her, hurrying to measure out the oats and pour them into the water.  
  
"Why don't we ever buy instant oats?" Suzie asked, peering over Marti's shoulder as she set the timer. "They're so much easier."  
  
"Maybe," Marta allowed. "But they taste like paste."  
  
Suzie nodded thoughtfully. "Good point," she said, walking back to her dough with the rolling pin in hand.  
  
Marta flipped the black pudding, smiling as she noted how crisp the slices were getting, then ran back to the island to check on Edmund's progress with the eggs.  
  
"How's it going, Eddie?" she asked, peering into the bowl. She frowned when she noticed a number of suspicious looking specks and lumps floating in the oddly discolored eggs.  
  
"Erm, Edmund," she said, pointing. "What's all that?"  
  
Edmund looked over to her, a broad grin on his face. "Salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder, rosemary, cheddar cheese, sliced ham, Worstershire sauce, hot sauce, and I forget what else."  
  
Marti stared, speechless. "But—"she stuttered. "Why?"  
  
"Plain eggs are boring," Edmund said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Did you leave anything in the refrigerator for when the others come down for breakfast?"  
  
"Yeah, sure," Edmund nodded, happily stirring his mixture.  
  
Marta shrugged helplessly. There was nothing she could do, after all. "OK, then," she sighed. "I'm sure it'll be delicious Edmund. Just, ask me next time before you go pouring every spice in the spice rack into the breakfast eggs, yeah?"  
  
Edmund looked up at her, suddenly concerned. "What," he asked nervously, "do you think Daddy won't like them?"  
  
Marta struggled to suppress a wince. "I think," she said carefully, shooting a dubious glance at the lumpy, brownish eggs. "I think he'll love them because you made them."  
  
Edmund beamed, going back to his mixing with renewed enthusiasm.  
  
"Marti," Suzie called out from her own workstation. "I think the black pudding is done!"  
  
Marta sniffed the air, then gasped, teleporting over to the stove and switching off the heat.  
  
"Close save," she sighed, hastily transferring the crisp, black slices over to a paper towel and replacing the pan on the stovetop. "Thanks, Suzie."  
  
Suzie shrugged, not looking up as she sprinkled generous quantities of cinnamon and sugar over her flat rectangle of well-buttered dough. "Eh," she said. "That's what I'm here for."  
  
"Well," Marti smiled, "just for that I'll take extra care to keep all traces of fur out of your breakfast."  
  
"I appreciate that," Suzie smirked back, rolling the dough into a smooth log. As Marta watched, she used her shape-shifting abilities to stretch out a long, pale, spade-tipped tail and pull her baking sheet up next to her.  
  
"Are you going to use the big oven or the little oven for those?" she asked.  
  
"The little oven," Suzie said, slicing the log into little spiral buns and placing them on the baking sheet. "That way I don't really have to preheat it or anything."  
  
"Good plan," Marta nodded, turning back to Edmund.  
  
"OK, Eddie," she said. "I think the pan's cooled enough. Let's cook these eggs. Bring your stool."  
  
Marta lifted the lumpy, odd-smelling egg mixture and poured it carefully into the waiting pan. Then, she turned the heat to its lowest setting and handed Edmund a pair of chopsticks.  
  
"Here," she said as he climbed up onto his stool. "Stir the eggs with these. I've got to see to the porridge."  
  
The seconds were counting down on the timer as Marta stirred the thick porridge, taking a quick taste to make sure its consistency was right. Then, she turned off the heat and went back to the island for the milk jug and the salt.  
  
"The buns are in the oven," Suzie announced, setting her own timer. "Now I need to make the caramel sauce. Are you almost done with the stove?"  
  
"I am done," Marta told her, carrying the heavy pot over to the counter and getting out five breakfast trays and a serving spoon. "Just keep an eye on Edmund while you're over there, will you?"  
  
"I don't need Suzie to keep an eye on me!" Edmund protested from his stool. "I know how to cook!"  
  
Suzie sucked in her cheeks, turning a pointed look on Marta. Marta sighed.  
  
"Look, Edmund, no one is saying you can't cook," she said. "We just want to make sure you don't burn yourself. Even on the lowest setting, the stove is dangerous."  
  
"I won't burn myself," Edmund stated stubbornly. "I know what I'm doing."  
  
"Forget it, Marti," Suzie shook her head. "He won't listen. But when you do burn yourself," she said to Edmund as she placed her own small pot on the burner next to his eggs, "don't even think of crying to me."  
  
"Don't worry," Edmund scowled at her. "I won't. And I won't burn myself either."  
  
"Fine," Marta said, slightly exasperated as she got out five bowls and five plates to arrange on the trays. "See that you don't."  
  
The porridge safely in its bowls and the slices of black pudding arranged nicely on the plates, Marta next turned her attention to making toast.  
  
"Do we have any rye bread?" she asked, poking around in the cabinets.  
  
"I think so," Suzie said, carefully stirring her sauce. "Check in the refrigerator."  
  
"Found it!" Marti exclaimed, pulling the bread and the butter from the shelf and leaving the refrigerator door to swing shut on its own as she headed over to the toaster. "What time is it?"  
  
"Nearly six," Edmund told her, still stirring the slowly curdling eggs, watching in fascination as the cheese melted into the mixture.  
  
"I think we're actually going to pull this off," Suzie smiled at Marta. "Do you need any help slicing the grapefruit?"  
  
"Nah, I've got it," Marti said, plopping the grapefruit halves into small bowls and placing them neatly on the trays. Then she gasped.  
  
"Ach, Gott!" she exclaimed. "Do you know what we forgot?"  
  
"What?" Suzie asked.  
  
"The coffee!"  
  
"Oh," Suzie winced. "Oops."  
  
Marta ran a hand through her curls, thinking fast. Then she snapped her fingers. "I've got it!" she grinned, crouching down to dig through one of the cabinets opposite the sink. "Those funny little coffee press things Mum always uses for tea! I'll heat up the water in the microwave and then we won't need the coffee maker at all!"  
  
"How much coffee do you put in those things?" Suzie asked curiously, removing her bubbling syrup from the stove and carrying it over to the island.  
  
"I think we'll be safe with one scoop in each press," Marti said, pulling the coffee can from the freezer and racing to fill their largest measuring cup with water.  
  
"Erm, Marti," Edmund called out from the stove. "The eggs are starting to get all dry. What should I do now?"  
  
Marta groaned and handed the measuring cup to Suzie. "Shove this in the microwave, will you," she said, rushing over to Edmund and quickly turning off the heat.  
  
"It's perfect, Edmund," she assured him, glancing into the pan. "I must admit, it looks much better cooked."  
  
"It'll taste good too," Edmund said proudly. "I put all kinds of things into it."  
  
Marti's tail began to shudder at that thought. "Yes," she acknowledged wryly. "I'll just serve it out onto the plates, OK?"  
  
"Yep," Edmund grinned. "Can I butter the toast?"  
  
"Is that done already?" Marta asked, surprised. "Yeah, sure. Knock yourself out. Just be careful, OK? That bread is hot."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Edmund rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, you sound just like Mum."  
  
"Hey!" Marta protested. "I do not!"  
  
"Do too," Edmund muttered.  
  
"I do not!" Marta insisted. "I was just—"  
  
"Excuse me," Suzie's smug voice interjected. "But is there a problem here?"  
  
Marta scowled at her. "No," she stated primly. "There is not."  
  
Suzie shook her head with a vengeful smirk. "Honestly," she said, "I can't leave you two alone for a moment can I?"  
  
"Oh, shut up," Marta snapped. Suzie just snickered. Marti's scowl deepened, her green eyes flashing as her annoyance grew.  
  
"Fine then," she said. "You finish up here without me. I've got to get to Mum and Dad's room and start setting everything up anyway. Don't forget to wash the pots and pans and things when you're through. I'll be back for you and the food when I'm done up there."  
  
Then, before either of her siblings could protest, Marti vanished in a BAMF of sulfurous smoke.

#######  
  
Marta reappeared in her bedroom and immediately crouched down beside her bed, lifting the skirting so she could see underneath. The sign her mother had helped them make the night before was still there, along with four presents neatly wrapped in shiny gold paper and tied with blue, fuzzy ribbon.  
  
Marti grinned, her cheery mood returning as though it had never left. It was going to be perfect. Pulling everything out onto her rug, Marta gathered it all into her arms and teleported into her parents' room.  
  
It was just past six and the morning sun was already shining through the curtains, filling the room with a warm, comfortable glow. Marta froze for a moment, every sense on the alert for any sign of movement from her parents' bed. When all that met her straining ears was the slow, even breathing of sleep, Marta allowed herself to relax slightly. Wrapping her tail around the tape, she carefully unfolded the bright, colorful sign and crawled up the wall, taping it just below the ceiling. Then, she took the presents and neatly piled them on her father's bedside table.  
  
Standing back to admire her handiwork for a moment, Marti grinned broadly at her sleeping parents, then teleported back to the kitchen. It was finally time for the party to begin!

#######  
  
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  
  
Kurt Wagner groaned as he rolled over to slap the alarm into blessed silence. He started to snuggle back into his pillow, but a movement beside him caused him to turn his head instead, a slow smile spreading over his fuzzy features.  
  
"Morning, love," his wife grinned back, brushing a few tousled curls from his fuzzy forehead as she leaned in close for a brief kiss. "Do you know what day this is?"  
  
Kurt blinked sleepy golden eyes and stretched lazily as he considered her question. "Well," he said thoughtfully, staring at the patterns of light on the ceiling. "It is not our anniversary. And I don't think it's anyone's birthday today. So I'm afraid I'm at a loss." He turned back to her with a playful, curious smile. "What day is it, Liebchen?"  
  
Alice just smiled, her eyes glittering with mischief. Kurt tilted his head, then followed her gaze to the wall in front of their bed. An enormous, brightly colored sign was hanging there. It was completely covered with happy smiley faces and balloons, its hand-painted lettering cheerfully spelling out "**HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DADDY**!"  
  
Kurt gasped and sat up, his eyes widening until they were nearly round.  
  
"Mein Gott," he breathed, his heart swelling with emotion as he reached out to clasp his wife's hand in his. "It is marvelous, Liebchen! And you all signed it, too!"  
  
"But that's not all," Alice grinned, climbing out of bed and rushing over to place her hand on the doorknob. "All right, kids," she called out, pulling the door open with a flourish. "Come on in!"  
  
Suzie and Edmund walked into the room, carrying a loaded tray carefully between them. Alice lowered the short legs under the tray and helped them set it down over their father's lap.  
  
"Nothing like breakfast in bed to start off your special day, right, honey?" Alice grinned.  
  
"But what about the rest of you?" Kurt started, but less than an instant later his question was answered for him as Marta teleported into the space just in front of the door with a small table and four trays of food. She grinned at him excitedly, her green eyes shining.  
  
"Happy Father's Day, Dad," she said. "What do you think?"  
  
Kurt laughed brightly, his grin threatening to split his face. "I think that if this lovely breakfast wasn't sitting on my lap I'd like to jump up and hug you all! This is absolutely wonderful! I had no idea!"  
  
"That was the point," Suzie smiled from the edge of the bed.  
  
"We wanted to surprise you," Edmund added, hugging his father's arm tightly. "I made the eggs." He pointed to them proudly.  
  
"Well then," Kurt smiled at him, reaching for his fork. "I'll be certain to try those first."  
  
Marti and Suzie shared a significant glance, both of them slapping a hand over their mouths to keep from laughing as they waited to see his reaction.  
  
Kurt's eyes widened slightly as he put the eggs in his mouth, then he quickly reached for his coffee.  
  
"It's delicious, Liebling," he said, once he could talk again. "Whatever did you put in it?"  
  
Edmund beamed. "Salt, pepper, garlic powder—"  
  
"Ah, garlic powder," Kurt nodded, taking another sip of coffee. "And what else? Hot sauce, I assume."  
  
Edmund nodded. "Yep. And loads of other stuff too."  
  
Suzie and Marta were bent double in a fit of silent hysterics as they watched their father's expression. Even Alice was having a hard time keeping her laughter in.  
  
"The eggs are very good, Edmund," Kurt assured the boy. "In fact, they're so good I think I'll save the rest for later." He looked down at his tray once more, then perked up.  
  
"Ah, Suzie, is this one of your famous sticky buns?"  
  
Suzie took a few deep breaths, then nodded, her shoulders still shaking from her silent laughter. "Yeah," she said. "And Marti fried up some of that black pudding Oma and Opa sent."  
  
"Wunderbar!" Kurt exclaimed, happily digging in as the rest of the family sat around the little table Marta had brought up and started on their own breakfast.  
  
"Mmm!" Edmund smiled as he chewed, "these eggs really are good! They just need some ketchup."  
  
Marta and Suzie stared at their brother, aghast. Then they both broke into an uncontrollable bout of snickers.  
  
"You did a wonderful job with the breakfast, children," Alice smiled over her sticky bun.  
  
"Fantastic," Kurt agreed from the bed, where he was just finishing his porridge. "But I couldn't help noticing this very interesting pile of mysterious packages that have miraculously found their way onto my bedside table. Could it be that my wonderful family has still more surprises in store for me?"  
  
"Could be," Marta smiled impishly. Kurt lowered his nearly empty tray to the floor and reached over for the first package. It was small, flat, and rectangular.  
  
"It's from Suzie!" Kurt read as he untied the fuzzy, blue bow and ripped through the wrapping paper.  
  
"It's a date book with a bunch of pictures by M.C. Escher," Suzie said as Kurt flipped through the little book. "I saw it in the book store and it looked interesting, so I thought you might like it."  
  
"I do," Kurt said, smiling at the intricate designs and impossible structures on each page. "This is perfect. I needed a date book. Thank you, Suzie."  
  
Suzie smiled. "You're welcome."  
  
"Now, let's see who's next," Kurt said, picking up the next package—a rather large, heavy box.  
  
"Hmmm," Kurt smiled as he read the label. "It's from Marta. I bet I know what this is."  
  
"Well, you got all excited when you saw the advertisement on TV," she said, watching intently as he unwrapped the box. "I found a coupon, too, so I could actually afford it without having to beg Mum for money."  
  
"The entire Horatio Hornblower mini-series on holo-disk," Kurt beamed as he ran his eyes excitedly over the boxed set. Then, he sighed sadly. "Ach, Marti, I can't accept this."  
  
Marta's face fell, confused. "But—"  
  
"Unless, of course," Kurt interrupted, holding up a finger with a grin, "you agree to watch them with me."  
  
Marta laughed, relieved. "Of course I will!" she exclaimed, rushing over to give him a hug. Kurt grunted at the impact, then laughed along with her. "We'll watch the first one tonight, ja?" he said, tousling her red curls affectionately. "Maybe we can even convince Katzchen and the others to watch it with us."  
  
"That would be great!" Marti grinned.  
  
"Open mine next, Daddy," Edmund exclaimed, pushing between Kurt and Marta to deposit another box on his father's lap. "Pleeese!"  
  
"All right, Edmund," Kurt smiled, tearing the paper from the box and opening it.  
  
"It's a picture I drew for you at school," Edmund beamed, taking the frame from the box and holding it up for his father to see. "Mummy framed it for me. This is you and this is me and these are Mummy and Marti and Suzie and we're all in the X-Jet, you see? We're going to Germany to see the circus with Oma and Opa, like we did last summer, remember?"  
  
Kurt chuckled, looking down at Edmund with a slightly wry expression. "Is this a present or a suggestion, mein Junge?" he asked.  
  
Edmund averted his eyes, a faint flush staining his blue cheeks at being found out so quickly. "Well," he said, twirling his tail between his fingers, "the circus was really fun, wasn't it? And it's not very far in the X-Jet, and—"  
  
"All right, Edmund," Alice interrupted him with a small smile. "We get the idea."  
  
"It's a lovely picture, Edmund," Kurt told him, holding it up to the light. "I think it will look very nice on the wall over there."  
  
"There's one present left," Marta pointed out, gesturing to the lone package on the bedside table.  
  
"So there is," Kurt nodded. He glanced over to Alice, who put on her most innocent expression, then began tearing off the golden paper.  
  
"It's a book," Edmund said, sniffing the air. "Erg," he snorted. "It smells old."  
  
"It is old," Kurt said, running his fuzzy fingers over the gold-leafed spine with something nearing reverence. "First edition?" he asked, looking up at Alice with wide, shining eyes.  
  
"What else," Alice smiled back. "You won't believe the number of shops I tore through before I found it."  
  
"I can imagine," he said softly, opening the book very slowly and carefully.  
  
"What's the title?" Suzie asked curiously.  
  
"_Captain Blood_," Kurt grinned. Suzie rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh," she said. "Of course."  
  
Kurt laughed, placing the book carefully back on the bedside table and rising to his feet.  
  
"All of you do realize," he said, "that all these wonderful presents and that delicious breakfast you made for me have made me realize all the more how very blessed we are. I—"  
  
"Kurt?"  
  
The Wagners looked up as Captain Britain's tinny voice piped into the room over the intercom.  
  
"Yes, Brian," Kurt responded. "What is it?"  
  
"We've just gotten a call from Inspector Thomas," Captain Britain told him. "There's been a murder, and it looks like the victim was a mutant. He's requested that Excalibur come down to scope out the scene."  
  
Kurt sighed deeply, closing his eyes as Brian went on. "I'm sorry, Kurt," he said, "but when duty calls, we must answer. It seems like we'll have to miss out on yet another Father's Day."  
  
Kurt smiled. "Oh, I don't know about that, mein Freund," he said. "Prep the jet, OK? Alice and I will be down in a minute."  
  
"I'll call Kitty and the others," Brian acknowledged. "See you soon."  
  
"Well," Kurt said with a helpless shrug as the intercom crackled into silence. "It looks like we've been summoned."  
  
"Do you _have_ to go?" Edmund whined plaintively.  
  
"I'm afraid so, mein Junge," Kurt told him apologetically.  
  
"It's OK," Marti said. "We knew Excalibur would get a call sooner or later. That's why we planned the party so early in the morning."  
  
"I have to admit," Kurt smiled, "I believe this was the best Father's Day I've ever had. Thank you very much."  
  
"I'm certainly glad to hear that," Suzie grinned back. "We've been planning it all week!"  
  
"And it's not over yet," Marti pointed out. "After all, we still have to watch Horatio Hornblower when you get back!"  
  
"That's right," Kurt grinned, brightening considerably. "It's a date, Liebling."  
  
"Unfortunately," Alice said, "right now Daddy and I have to get dressed, so..."  
  
"No problem," Suzie assured them, picking up Kurt's tray and placing it on the table. "We were just leaving. See ya when you get back!"  
  
"Yeah," Marti grinned, getting a good grip on the table in preparation for a teleport. "Happy Father's Day!"  
  
"Happy Father's Day, Daddy," Edmund repeated, hugging his father tightly around the middle and enduring a kiss from his mother before joining his sisters by the doorway.  
  
"Good luck with the mission."  
  
"Dankeschon," Kurt smiled.  
  
"Be good for Uncle Alistaire, OK?" Alice said. The three children nodded, then they and the loaded table vanished in a BAMF of sulfur-scented smoke as Marta teleported them all away.  
  
Kurt and Alice stared at the spot where they had been for a moment longer, then Kurt sighed.  
  
"Come on, Alice," he said, pecking her lightly on the cheek and heading for his closet. "Time to suit up."  
  
"It's true what they say, isn't it," she observed as she walked over to her own side of the room. "Superheros never do get a day off."  
  
Kurt chuckled. "Perhaps, so, Liebchen," he said, grinning at her as he pulled his uniform from its hanger. "But that only makes times like this morning all the sweeter, don't you think?"  
  
Alice smiled. "It was all their idea, you know. Having the party at breakfast, I mean."  
  
"They're great kids, aren't they," Kurt observed, looking at the colorful sign with proud affection.  
  
"They're the best," Alice agreed, coming up beside him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She smiled warmly, looking deep into his golden eyes.  
  
"Happy Father's Day."  
  
THE END :D


End file.
